Why Girls Avoid Using AI Tools

Did you know that about 50% of people do not use AI for work? Ever wondered why? You might be thinking that it must be a lack of training on how to use AI or perhaps skepticism about AI tools themselves. While these are indeed plausible (and possible) explanations, recent research (link to article in the comments 👇🏽) shows that a key factor is actually the fear of being perceived as being less competent from using AI - what the researchers refer to as the “competency penalty”. How did they arrive at this conclusion? They did an experiment involving 1,026 engineers reviewing identical Python code. The only difference was whether reviewers believed it was written with AI assistance or not. The result? “The results were striking. When reviewers believed an engineer had used AI, they rated that engineer’s competence 9% lower on average, despite reviewing identical work. This wasn’t about code quality—ratings of the code itself remained similar whether AI was involved or not. The penalty targeted the perceived ability of the person who wrote it.” ‼️What is more alarming is that the competence penalty was more than twice as severe for female engineers, who faced a 13% reduction compared to 6% for male engineers further exacerbating inequalities in the technology sector. “When reviewers thought a woman had used AI to write code, they questioned her fundamental abilities far more than when reviewing the same AI-assisted code from a man.” What is also extremely concerning is who was imposing these penalties! “Engineers who hadn’t adopted AI themselves were the harshest critics. Male non-adopters were particularly severe when evaluating female engineers who used AI, penalizing them 26% more harshly than they penalized male engineers for identical AI usage.” Could this be the reason you don’t use AI for work? What would it take to motivate employees to considered using AI? The authors have some suggestions in the article. What do you think? #MondayMotivation

This week, I learned about a new kind of bias—one that can impact underrepresented people when they use AI tools. 🤯 New research by Oguz A. Acar, PhD et al. found that when members of stereotyped groups—such as women in tech or older workers in youth-dominated fields—use AI, it can backfire. Instead of being seen as strategic and efficient, their AI use is framed as “proof” that they can’t do the work on their own. (https://lnkd.in/gEFu2a9b) In the study, participants reviewed identical code snippets. The only difference? Some were told the engineer wrote it with AI assistance. When they thought AI was involved, they rated the engineer’s competence 9% lower on average. And here’s the kicker: that _competence penalty_ was twice as high for women engineers. AI-assisted code from a man got a 6% drop in perceived competence. The same code from a woman? A 13% drop. Follow-up surveys revealed that many engineers anticipated this penalty and avoided using AI to protect their reputations. The people most likely to fear competence penalties? Disproportionately women and older engineers. And they were also the least likely to adopt AI tools. And I’m concerned this bias extends beyond engineering roles. If your organization is encouraging AI adoption, consider the hidden costs to marginalized and underestimated colleagues. Could they face extra scrutiny? Harsher performance reviews? Fewer opportunities? In this week's 5 Ally Actions newsletter, I'll explore ideas for combatting this bias and creating more meritocratic and inclusive workplaces in this new world of AI. Subscribe and read the full edition on Friday at https://lnkd.in/gQiRseCb #BetterAllies #Allyship #InclusionMatters #Inclusion #Belonging #Allies #AI 🙏

It's been a whirlwind week of media coverage, with an appearance on CTV Your Morning leading to articles in CTV News, BNN Bloomberg, and Inc. Magazine. I've been talking about the gender gap in AI adoption. 18 global studies covering 140,000+ people revealed that women are 20-25% less likely than men to use GenAI tools at work. Researchers found the gap is nearly universal, and it persists even when access is equal. If this disparity continues, systems will learn from data that under-represent women, widening existing gaps in technology adoption and economic opportunity. The reasons for the gender gap vary. Women have lower familiarity with AI, and are more likely to want training while men "just try it." Women are afraid of being penalized at work for taking a risk with AI tools. As I said in an interview: "A man using emerging technology is called 'innovative.' A woman using emerging tech is 'cheating'. " Women are also concerned about bias in AI outputs. All of this adds up to a confidence gap - not a capability gap - and it slows adoption. If women sit on the sidelines of the AI revolution, they risk falling further behind. Their career growth stagnates, and gender pay inequities grow. I'm particularly interested in AI adoption amongst entrepreneurs. The top reasons why businesses adopt AI are to be more efficient and productive. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab says that GenAI could lift Canada’s labour productivity by 6% in the next decade. A report from Microsoft suggests that the average ROI for companies is $3.50 for every $1 invested in AI. If 20-25% of women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs sit out AI adoption, that's billions in GDP that Canada will never see. Even worse, we don't see the economic benefits of women-led businesses. The World Economic Forum says women-led firms are proven 'regenerative forces' - they reinvest locally and create greener, safer jobs. If women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs are left behind on AI, we don't just lose efficiency; we lose the very businesses that knit communities together. This is why I'm proud to be working on the AI Skills Lab Canada program (https://aiskillslab.ca). It's a national, women-led pilot from The Forum, Camp Tech Inc, and Growclass, with co-investment from DIGITAL. The program features free training and support for women, transfemme, and non-binary entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with AI. Our Labs blend short lessons and guided practice on core tools with a responsible AI lens, including data privacy, human-in-the-loop checks, and the Canadian legal context. Our goal is to move participants from awareness to first wins, then surround them with peer and mentor support so they keep going. If you lead, fund, or influence innovation and skills in Canada, this is a moment to act. If you are a gender-diverse entrepreneur, join us. If you already use AI, be a peer champion and show how you work. Let’s close the gap and grow the economy together.

Women are adopting AI tools at a 25 percent lower rate than men on average. This is according to research by Harvard Business School Associate Professor Rembrand Koning. With my product hat on, I’m curious about why this is. This is “despite the fact that it seems the benefits of AI would apply equally to men and women.” Ok. But is the build designed to address the needs for all… in order to achieve these benefits? Why the gap? The research suggests women are concerned about the ethics of using the tools and may fear they will be judged harshly in the workplace for relying on them. Are these real pain points of women being addressed? A good place to start is at the root, by listening, understanding, and addressing the needs of users. Koning noted: ➡️ Women appear to be worried about the potential costs of relying on computer-generated information, particularly if it’s perceived as unethical or “cheating.” ➡️ Women face greater penalties in being judged as not having expertise in different fields.  They might be worried that someone would think that even though they got the answer right, they ‘cheated’ by using ChatGPT. To design and build for all AND achieve intended outcomes: “It’s important to create an environment in which everybody feels they can participate and try these tools and won’t be judged for [using them],” Koning says. It really comes down to understanding and addressing the real pain points and concerns that women have. #AI #AILiteracy #ProductManagement

Women who use AI are 'cheaters.'  Men who use AI are 'innovators.'  See the problem? It's the classic double standard. When a woman uses ChatGPT, she might fear being seen as "taking shortcuts." When a man does it, he's "leveraging innovative tools." In a recent Harvard Business School article, researchers show women are adopting AI tools 25% less than men. The research reveals a staggering truth: men are building career advantages with AI while women deliberate ethical concerns, potentially widening existing workplace disparities. Remember when executives first got email? Their assistants (mostly women) managed it while they dictated responses. Now imagine being the last executive to adopt email - that's the career disadvantage at stake with AI. It’s not a unique problem though. Every technological advance faces this pattern: initial resistance followed by universal adoption. From calculators to the Internet to now AI, the early adopters gain the advantage. At Mother AI, our research shows not only is there a gender gap but a massive "parent gap" in AI adoption. (Read the top five reasons for the parent gap in the comments) Working moms are falling even further behind - sacrificing productivity and time gains while shouldering more household management than ever. Ask yourself: If you had a tool that could save hours each week, would you let concerns about "cheating" stop you from using it? What's been your biggest hesitation about trying AI tools? Let's discuss in the comments! #AIAdoption #WomenInTech #MotherAI #ShePowersAI